A few weeks ago, I attended Holdette‘s event: How To Make a Resume and Cover Letter That Actually Stand Out. I thought it was super insightful, and I wanted to recap the details for you.

Recruiters from Tesla, Google, and Facebook headlined the webinar. They answered various resume and cover letter questions and shared their personal experiences.

Below, I’ve compiled the best tips and biggest takeaways. I hope it helps, no matter where you are in your career journey!

Resume Tips

Make it relevant. Your resume should be written specifically for the job you are applying to. Resumes are not just a one-size-fits-all document.

Be descriptive, yet concise. One page resumes are typically preferred for recent grads. Think about how much room you need to tell your story.

Include numbers or impact. If you can quantify your accomplishments, do it! If you can prove your success in a more qualitative way, do it!

Include soft skills learned. Don’t discount your talent; soft skills are important too!

Create a projects section. If you have space on your resume, include projects that you are working on.

Edit, edit, edit. This one is pretty self explanatory. Practice good grammar.

Be creative with caution. Content is the most important part of your resume. Some recruiters like the fancy resume templates, but others do not. Usually it is best to keep your resume basic. But, you can show off your creativity with an online portfolio. This could be easily hyperlinked on a digital resume.

Don’t include your headshot. Unfortunately, this could cause bias.

Don’t include your address. Just put your current city or “remote” or “relocate.” Your address is personal information that doesn’t need to be put on your resume.

Don’t include quotes. Yes, some recruiters have received resumes with inspirational quotes on them. Save your motivation for social media.

Cover Letter Tips

Share the important information. Show that your skills relate to the job description, be clear about your graduation date, and share how you meet the minimum qualifications.

Tell a story. Explain who you are and what your story is. Include how your personal mission relates to the company mission.

Don’t waste your time if it’s not required. People are busy. If they didn’t ask for a cover letter, they most likely will not read it.

Other Tips

Create an online portfolio. Sometimes this speaks more than even your resume or cover letter.

Connect with others on LinkedIn. This is a great networking tool.

Don’t stress about “scannable resumes.” ATS systems just scan resumes to check for minimum qualifications. A real person still goes over your application if you are qualified.

P.S. Holdette will be hosting more career workshops! Keep up-to-date with them on Instagram.

What was your favorite tip? Have you attended resume workshops before? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!